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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The nearly 1,200 fountains in the World of Color are a spectacular combination of water, fire, color, music and dancing. Walt Disney Imagineers wanted the "stars" of the show to move like humans, so they turned to professional choreographer and dancer Joshua Horner to give the fountains life, character and emotion. In this podcast, watch as Imagineers are inspired by Horner as he dances his way through the World of Color. It's another exclusive peek behind the scenes.

Have you ever thought about making a Minnie Mouse Candy Apple? Candy maker Margie Bursiaga at Marceline's Confectionary in the Downtown Disney District sure makes it seem simple in this video.
What do you need to get started? An apple on a stick, caramel, marshmallows, melted milk chocolate, melted white chocolate, an edible red bow, red sugar and white chocolate dots.
The apple designs at Marceline's Confectionary in the Downtown Disney District represent a collaboration between candy makers, store management and the product development team. The designs can take more than a month, as candymakers go from developing the concept to producing and selling it in the candy store.
There are more than a dozen different apple selections that change throughout the seasons. Do you have a favorite?

Balloons have been a guest favorite since day one, literally. Disneyland has been selling balloons in the Park since 1955. So, how does that cool Mickey Mouse-shaped balloon get inside that clear balloon? It takes skill. And how do the vendors hold all those balloons without letting them go? Again, it takes skill and a special technique. Check out this video and see how they make balloon magic. By the way, if you ever pop a balloon while you are in the Park, just bring it back to the vendor and they will give you a new one!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Mickey, who usually saves his voice for shows and parades, talked with guests and interacted with them in never-before-seen ways! This was part of a process we call "play-testing", as it gives us a chance to develop new concepts with our guests long before they end up in the Parks. "We're always looking for innovative ways to let guests interact with our beloved characters," says Disney Imagineer and head of Advanced Development Scott Trowbridge. "And we have many more surprises up our sleeves."
Since many guests did not have an opportunity to experience this, here's a short video that shows some of the fun.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

What price decades of Disney treasure? Who knows, because not even one of its top historians can put a dollar value on memorabilia from the Magic Kingdom. Dave Smith, who started the Walt Disney Archives in 1970, says they have millions of historic Disney items in warehouses, many of which still come in handy.
"Disney is a company that reuses its past all the time," said Smith, who is visiting Hong Kong Disneyland for the first time. "We still need information about old projects to do new ones."
Among the items he brought with him are the first Disney publication in Hong Kong - a 101 Dalmatians comic book - and drawings by Walt Disney when he was a teenager.mSmith says once it's in the archives it can't be sold.

The late King of Pop Michael Jackson even tried to buy the company founder's old desk.
"I think a million dollars was mentioned," he said. "But no, we are like a museum - we don't sell."